Florida residents concerned about governor's release of health information

There was a shocking surprise: the information of patients who use medical marijuana, including veterans, may have become public thanks to the governor.

Florida voters have overwhelmingly approved marijuana use in the Sunshine State. In the first medical marijuana vote, over 60% of citizens voted yes. Governor DeSantis said that was a shame. In the second vote, the approval rating was 71% and the governor said the public didn't understand that and he delayed the rollout. Now he's trying to prevent a third recreational vote. But the latest action has stunned citizens, and now Floridians are worried the governor is leaking health information for an email campaign.

RELATED TOPICS: Study confirms effectiveness of marijuana in treating PTSD

Science, the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services all agree that cannabis can help patients with a variety of ailments. Medical marijuana is recognized as a treatment for PTSD, chronic pain, cancer and more. More research will provide additional information about the plant, but it's a good start and one of the foundations for re-planning. HIPAA is a law passed in 1996 to change the transmission of health information and establish the guidelines by which personally identifiable information managed by the health care and health insurance industry is to be protected from fraud and theft. Somewhere in Florida, it slipped through the cracks.

Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

The Florida Department of Health recently sent an email to nearly 700,000 patients who use medical marijuana, praising Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The email praised the governor's accomplishments and help for patients, despite overwhelming opposition not only to recreational use and legalization of cannabis, but also to the original law that allowed patients to be prescribed medical marijuana.

The email also praised a cancer research program promoted by First Lady Casey DeSantis, listed health issues such as HIV, hepatitis and syphilis included in the budget, and included a message from Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo that he and DeSantis are “advancing public health and personal responsibility in Florida.”

RELATED TOPICS: California or New York, where is the biggest marijuana chaos?

Patients and advocates of medical marijuana treatments say the DeSantis administration violated their privacy by using the patient list to promote its policies.

“This is outrageous. This is truly an abuse of power and information,” said House Speaker Kelly Skidmore, the ranking Democrat on the House Health Committee.

The Department of Health said it did not specifically target patients who use marijuana for medical purposes, but sent the budget statement to everyone on its email database, apparently to support the governor and first lady.